The governor of Akita Prefecture in northeastern Japan who owns a Siberian cat received as a gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the invasion of Ukraine on Friday.
The cat named Mir, which means "peace" in Russian, is "very affectionate, unlike President Putin," Gov. Norihisa Satake told reporters, adding, "It's extremely ironic."
"It is extremely malicious also from a humanitarian perspective," Satake, who has had the cat since 2013, said of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "I think this is a war for President Putin to protect his status."
Akita Prefecture gave Putin, who is known to have a fondness for dogs, an Akita dog in 2012 to express gratitude to Russia for its assistance following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster in northeastern Japan.
Satake, known for his love of cats, was gifted Mir in return.
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